Security

P&N Bank has comprehensive security measures in place to ensure your accounts and personal information are protected from unauthorised access. Whilst P&N has high level security measures in place to protect the bank from fraud, it is also important for members to be aware of fraud and how to protect themselves. Our website provides tips for enhancing security along with information about common types of fraud.

We do occasionally contact you to inform you of our products and services that we think may be of interest to you, at which time, we may be required to identify you, to ensure that we do not disclose personal information. If you are concerned about the legitimacy of a phone call you have received, please ask the consultant for their name and advise you will call them back via our Contact Centre on 13 25 77. This will ensure you are speaking to P&N Bank directly and not an individual attempting to gain your account information.

Reporting fraud

If you find a transaction on your statement that you haven’t authorised, please contact P&N Bank on 13 25 77. It is important to take an active role in preventing and combatting fraud.

Reporting a scam

Common signs of a scam:

An unsolicited offer that comes out of the blue

A guaranteed quick and easy way to make money

Promises of low effort and no risk involved

A request for personal information (eg. banking details)

Sounds too good to be true

If you feel you have been a victim of a scam contact us immediately on 13 25 77

Although fraud monitoring for Visa Credit/Debit card, rediCard and online transactions operates 24 hours a day, our Fraud Department will only contact members between the hours of 7am to 10pm (WST). For all other monitoring, we will only contact you during business hours Monday to Friday. You should be wary of unsolicited calls supposedly from your financial institution. Should you have concerns about whom you are speaking with, do not provide any banking or personal information and hang up immediately. You should then advise our Contact Centre on 13 25 77 and they will be able to confirm if the call you received was from the P&N Fraud Department.

Visa Secure

When you shop online, it’s important to know that your transactions are secure. To ensure your security, P&N Bank Visa Credit cards and Visa Debit cards are equipped with protection from Visa Secure.

What is Visa Secure?

Visa Secure provides P&N Bank members with an additional layer of protection when purchasing goods and services online through participating Visa Secure merchants.

When you make a purchase online with a participating merchant your transaction will be assessed to determine if a second level of verification is required. If it is determined that additional verification is necessary you will be required to enter a security code, which will be sent to the mobile number that you have registered with P &N Bank. Once received the code can be entered and the transaction can be finalised.

Visa Secure helps prevent people using your details without your permission. And it’s good for retailers who want to make sure their customers are protected.

When you complete your payment with Visa Secure, P & N Bank is able to make additional security checks to ensure your card details have not been compromised. P & N Bank want to make sure that it’s really you making the purchase before they authorise the payment. After all, nobody would expect to take cash out of an ATM without using their PIN. We want to give you the same high standards of protection on the internet as well.

Banking safely online

Set up a firewall for your home computer. This will help to prevent unauthorised internet users accessing information from your computer while you are online.

Where possible, ensure that you install relevant current security updates as soon as they are released. Install good antivirus software and keep it up to date.

Where possible, avoid banking or shopping online at internet cafes or other public internet terminals.

Always look for the secure padlock icon within your browser window when logging on to an online banking or internet shopping website.

Regularly check your transaction history or statement for any unusual or suspicious transactions.

Whilst P&N Bank strongly advises that you consider the above recommendations, we encourage you to thoroughly investigate the range of security options currently available before applying them to your PC. Do not choose Internet Banking passwords that are easy to guess, such as your name or birth date.

Never tell anyone your log in information.

Change your Internet Banking password regularly.

Always log on to Internet Banking by typing the address, do not use hyperlinks from unknown sources.

Never leave an Internet Banking session unattended.

Always log out properly.

Additional information about what are the minimum browser specifications we recommend and support for accessing Internet Banking can be found here.

Social media

Social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter are great ways to connect with friends and family, but they are also a way for fraudsters to connect with you.

Be careful that you don’t publish personal information that may compromise your personal security, in particular you should never publish in a post, tweet or a status update any private banking information like your PAN, PIN, bank account details or address.

Here are some things to consider when setting up and participating in social network sites:

Question each piece of information that you put on your profile and whether you’re willing to share it online - for example your home address or phone number.

Personal data such as birth date, drivers licence number, tax file number or bank account details should never be published.

Create complex passwords using upper and lower case letters, numbers and special characters (such as $%&!), with a different password for each site.

Don’t accept friend requests from people you don’t know.

Never consider any communication on a social networking site to be personal or private.

Familiarise yourself with the privacy settings and security policy of any social networking sites you use.

If the site offers a reset password feature using a 'security question', make sure that only you know the answer to the question.

Sort your friends into groups so that you can share specific content with selected friends.

Minimise the number of third party apps and services that you install or allow to access your account.

Don’t click links in messages or wall posts, even links sent to you by friends without checking first if the person intended to send it to you.

Card security

Sign new cards as soon as you receive them.

If you are expecting a new card and don't receive it within 10 working days, contact us on 13 25 77.

Destroy expired cards.

Memorise your PIN (do not carry it with your card), don't use the same PIN for all of your access cards, and never tell anyone your PIN.

Do not select an obvious code for your PIN, such as your birth date.

Never provide your credit card details over the phone or internet unless you are sure that you are dealing with a legitimate organisation.

Notify P&N Bank immediately if your card has been lost or stolen.

Make a record of telephone numbers for reporting lost or stolen cards and keep it in a safe place

If your card is lost or stolen report it immediately on 13 25 77.

Treat your card like cash and always keep it in a safe place.

At the ATM

Stay alert

Be cautious when strangers offer to help you at the ATM, even if your card is stuck or you are experiencing difficulty with the transaction. Avoid ATMs which have messages or signs fixed to them indicating that the screen directions have been changed, especially if the message is posted over the card reader. Banks and other ATM owners will not put up messages directing you to specific ATMs, nor would they direct you to use an ATM which has been altered. Do not use ATMs that appear to have been tampered with.

When disposing of personal documents, make sure you shred or tear them up.

Cancel all unused or dormant bank accounts.

Never provide your bank account details or other personal information in response to an unsolicited phone call or email.

Never pre-sign cheques and always cross them 'not negotiable'.

If you have concerns about someone potentially obtaining credit in your name, Equifax provide a Free Credit Report service (mycreditfile).

Industry links

Stay Smart Online is a government run website and provides tips for families and small business with topics like securing your computer, small business safe online, smart transacting online and kids safe online.

Help Prevent Identity Theft, Spyware & Viruses – Microsoft provides great tips in the 'security at home' section of their website on how to protect your computer, protect yourself and protect your family.www.microsoft.com/en-au/security/default.aspx

Scamwatch provides information on how to recognise, avoid and report scams. This is a government run website and it is run by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC). www.scamwatch.gov.au